Burlington School Committee Unanimously Adopts Common Lit 360 for Middle School English

BURLINGTON -- March 24, 2026, Burlington School Committee adopts Common Lit 360 as its new grades six through eight English curriculum after a two-year review. The committee voted unanimously to approve the program, selected over competitor EL Education after 97 percent of surveyed educators favored it, citing robust teacher support tools, differentiated instruction options, and full-text reading; curriculum coordinators noted the choice also happened to be the less expensive option. State Rep. Ken Gordon, House chair of the Joint Committee on Education and this year's MASC Legislator of the Year, briefed the committee on a phonics-based early literacy bill in conference committee, pending bell-to-bell cell phone legislation, and a post-MCAS graduation framework under development. Gordon confirmed Burlington received $100,000 in state supplemental funds to replace a failed generator at Memorial School. The committee also approved a $35,000 DESE career and technical education planning grant, authorized 20 DECA students to travel to the national conference in Atlanta at an all-inclusive cost of $1,200 per student, and accepted a $6,950 Memorial School PTO donation for outdoor basketball hoops.